EASY Freeze-y Jam

I'm becoming "known" for my freezer jam - ha!  It really is good, but there is no secret recipe and it's so easy that I have to chuckle.  We have a plethora of raspberries and blackberries that grow in our backyard so this is how I use them.  Now, I know what you are thinking - it's April, no one has berries this time of year!  Well, I still have a freezer FULL of berries picked from last summer just waiting to be made into jam.  I usually make about 5-6 batches at a time throughout the year and this go around was no different.

Here's how I do jam!

I thaw my berries that were previously frozen in gallon ziplock bags...

Then I buy a few boxes of this stuff (located in the canning aisle at most grocery stores):

The box contains my recipe (one box produces one batch)...you see, no secret at all!

Then I simply follow the instructions.

I like to puree my berries in the blender - just a preference.  It will make the jam more firm with no chunks but smash your berries how you prefer!

Add the amount of recommended sugar:

Mix up the pectin:

It starts out lumpy:

But nice and smooth once it's been boiled:

Put everything together:

And you get some beautiful jars of jam!

Once the jam has set for 24 hours, place in the freezer (good for about a year), refrigerator (good for about 3 weeks) or in your belly (delicious!).

For the blackberries, I add in one extra step - I run the pureed berries through a sieve to remove some of the seeds (this step is a pain, you really have to press it through!). The seeds tend to be really big so I remove at least half of them.

And there you have it!  I made 5 batches of jam in about an hour.